Donetsk People's Republic

The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR, or DNR in Russian) is a separatist republic located in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. On 7 April 2014, the DPR declared its independence from Ukraine amidst a series of political crises that plagued the country after its revolution against the pro-Russian dictatorship that ruled the DPR. The self-proclaimed country's capital and largest city is Donetsk, and much of its population is Russian-speaking or ethnic Russians; almost all of them are Orthodox Christians. A major reason for the independence of the DPR was its separate culture from western Ukraine, as the people identified as Russian and not Ukrainian. From April 2014, the DPR had to fight against the Ukrainian Army and pro-government militias in the "Donbass War", with the Russian Army, Luhansk People's Republic, and other separatist organizations (including foreign volunteers) assisting the DPR.